{ Yerba Buena: Savory Brunch } *****

 

212.529.2919

23 Avenue A

New York, NY

{ Lower East Side  – between Perry and Greenwich Ave)

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Brunch is a time-honored tradition in Manhattan. And I must admit–with slight guilt–that it is also one of my favorite meals to partake in when I visit the city. My girlfriends and I usually put a “brunch plan” in place at the pre-game Saturday night, and then on Sunday morning the first person to arrive at the destination watches as the rest of the group arrives in increments, dressed like refugees from the night before. Might I suggest that you wear your over-sized sunglasses and take your Advil though, because brunch is becoming so popular amongst us yuppies, that you may find yourself waiting in line on a sidewalk for upwards of an hour before being seated (damn you, Il Bastardo...).

Now there are two different approaches that one can take when choosing a brunch spot: the first is a bottomless boozey brunch centered around socializing and possibly even dancing on table tops, the second is a food-centric brunch where the objective is obtaining a delicious and filling meal that combines the best elements of breakfast and lunch. As a foodie, I am partial to the latter and Yerba Buena (YB) is one of my favorite places to enjoy a savory (and usually spicy!) mid-day meal. If the previous night was well-oiled then a mimosa or bloody Maria is necessary, and YB does offer an unlimited cocktail cocktail hour for just $15. I am not a huge fan of their Sangria, but I do LOVE the Poquito Picante cocktail made with bulldog gin, jalapeno-infused cointreau, cilantro, cucumber, and lemon juice ($12). It is refreshing, spicy, and very unique to YB (just make sure to pull the floating red pepper out before the drink gets too spicy!!).

Things you should definitely order include:

1. The homemade Chips and Guacamole seasoned with Chipotle and Queso Fresco ($10), It is a great starter for the table and guarantees that tense group moment when you get down to the last chip.

2. The Huevos Rancheros which is a thin crispy tortilla, topped with black beans, charred tomato, cascabel salsa, queso fresco, and two fried eggs ($13). Pop those yolks and soak up that runny goodness with each and every forkful. The dish is satisfying and a great value for the price. One of my all-time favorite takes on huevos rancheros.

3. The Cachapa Eggs Benedict prepared with sweet corn cake, asadero cheese, poached eggs, serrano ham, and a Yerba Buena-aji amarillo hollandaise ($14). I am not normally a fan of eggs benedict, but this unique spin on the classic is exciting and delicious.

4. Finally, if you want something starchy, I recommend the Pan Dulce which combines sweet and savory flavors to create a hybrid dish between a French Croque Monsiur and French toast, with overriding South American flair. It is french brioche toast, with melted manchego cheese, dulce de leche sauce, and fresh bananas. Need I say more?

The service is also attentive and pleasant. More importantly, they aren’t rushing you from your table to turn it over for the next guest, despite the tiny dining room space!

Greenstreet ****

Eggs Scrambled with Salsa served with Tomatoes and Toast

305.444.0244

3468 Main Hwy, Coconut Grove 33133

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When I wake up hung-over, there are two things that I always crave: (1) a large glass of ice water; and (2) an omlette from Greenstreet. In my opinion, Greenstreet serves the best all around (and most reasonably priced) breakfast in the Miami area. Of course there are incredible brunches at the Biltmore and various South Beach hotels, but those are like $60 per person and unfeasible for every day (for a college kid no less!). Greenstreet on the other hand, will only cost you about $10 for breakfast and it is incredible…the omlettes especially! They are 3 egg omlettes cooked to perfection (not runny) served with your choice of grits, tomatoes, or home fries. I don’t care if you are on a diet or don’t normally order potatoes, but you MUST try these home fries because they are the best I have EVER tasted! You also get your choice of a toasted French baguette (my personal favorite), English muffin, rye toast, or bagel. It is a very substantial amount of food for the price. However, the best part about Greenstreet is that breakfast is conveniently served every day until 2:45 in the afternoon, which allows me some time to sleep off my hangover. But for those of you who can’t kick the hangover before getting there, Greenstreet supposedly makes some of the best Bloody Marys to help beat it. I wouldn’t know personally because I’m not a Bloody Mary fan, but look around on a Saturday or Sunday morning and almost everyone is sipping either a coffee or Bloody Mary so they are popular.

If you find yourself getting to Greenstreet past the breakfast hour, don’t worry because they also have delicious salads. My favorite is the Roman Salad with spring mix, feta, and cherry tomatoes, tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette. I always ask for grilled jerk chicken on top too, which is really my favorite part of any salad I order there. The chicken is thinly sliced down on a diagonal and is always served warm. They have regular grilled chicken too, but I encourage you to get the jerk because the spice rub is so flavorful. Also, this is a restaurant that you don’t have to ask for dressing on the side because their salads are dressed to perfection…always.

Another one of my favorite things at Greenstreet are the chips with guacamole and salsa, which are great to start. The chips are homemade and lightly salted, and the guacamole has a terrific lemony flavor (there is always tension at the table when it comes down to who will eat the last few chips). For a hot entrée, the Mushroom Triangole is very good. It is mushroom filled ravoli served in a creamy porcini sauce…yumm! The Chicken Vegetable Tofu Stir-Fry is also awesome and a really unique spin on stir-fry because the sauce it not your typical brown soy based sauce, but instead a light curry flavored sauce. Just make sure that your hungry though because the portion is huge!! And last but not least, is the Zucchini Basil Soup which is a must try. It tastes like nothing that I have ever had before and the distinct flavor of basil is really light and fresh. It looks super creamy (as you can tell by the photo above) but surprisingly no cream or butter is used! Its a great healthy comfort food. Basically, the only thing that I would not order from Greenstreet is the Chicken Provencial because the tomato sauce is not very authentic or homemade tasting, but everything else that I have tried here has been great.

As for the atmosphere of the place, on a nice day it could not be better. Greenstreet has a lot of outdoor seating on a nice corner in Coconut Grove so it is prime for people watching and enjoying the weather. There are large umbrellas to provide shade and the tables are comfortable. The inside of the place is much smaller and feels more like a library or a study with the large bookcases that adorn the walls (its cozy), I prefer to sit outside so try to go on a nice day or night. BUT….if you want to sit outside on a nice Saturday or Sunday (especially for breakfast), be prepared to wait up to an hour for a table. Good things are worth the wait though!!!

If you do go at night you’ll find that Greenstreet also has a great bar scene, and they are known for the red velvet couches lining the sidewalk that bring the lounge atmosphere outdoors. The mojitos are great and all drinks are half off after 11, so it’s very cheap (like $5 a drink).

Overall, Greenstreet is one of my favorite places to go in Miami because you can stay all day there and have something going on (I once did stay for 8 hours straight with a group of friends, ordering breakfast, then drinks, and then lunch and it was a blast!!). Ohhh and on top of it all, the service is great so you cannot go wrong!!

Zucchini Basil Soup

Brownie a la Mode